Roll Over Beethoven

Roll Over Beethoven is the title of one in 1956, composed and recorded by Chuck Berry evergreens.

Genesis

In early adolescence Chuck Berry's sister Lucy Berry confiscated home the only piano for their exercises in classical music. Chuck Berry with his blues - oriented music had left behind. The composition of Roll Over Beethoven reflects these experiences. In the title Ludwig van Beethoven is symbolic of classical music, "roll over" " roll over " for. The largest part of the text was therefore dedicated to his sister and not Beethoven himself. His mother did not want to deliver justice, thought Chuck Berry to portray his anger a radio disc jockey ( "writing a letter and mailing it to the local DJ "). He tries to rock and roll in a humorous arrogance equated with the music of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky and is confident that both would be surprised and excited. The text announces the musical generation, because Beethoven and Tchaikovsky are outdated, rock ' n ' roll is the music of today. Finally, he tries wordplay to the epidemiology at a originating from the Rock & Roll pneumonia and a release from the boogie-woogie flu; a passage that has been taken up a year later by Huey "Piano" Smith titled Rockin ' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu (July 1957). Berry cited with Early in the Morning a title of Louis Jordan ( November 1947 ), Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins ( January 1956 ), and "The Cat and the Fiddle " refers to Bo Diddley, who also likes to play the violin.

Roll Over Beethoven Chuck Berry was included in only the third recording session in Chicago on April 16, 1956 along with Too Much Monkey Business, Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Havana Moon and Drifting Heart. As a B-side Drifting Heart has been selected. The cast consisted of Chuck Berry (vocals / guitar), Johnny Johnson ( piano ), Leroy Davis ( sax ), Willie Dixon (bass) and Fred Below ( drums). Producers were the label owner Phil and Leonard Chess. Lack of own recording studio they were - like almost all of the early Chess repertoire - Chuck Berry record in the studios of Universal Recording Corporation of Chicago.

Publication and success

Roll Over Beethoven / Drifting Heart ( Chess Records in 1626 ) was published in May 1956 as a single and reached in August 1956 in the U.S. pop charts, where it penetrated only up to rank 29. In the Rhythm and Blues charts could reach second place. Despite only moderate ranking in the U.S. pop charts, the single sold well and became the second million-seller for Chuck Berry. Roll Over Beethoven is one of the 50 stocks, the Library of Congress National Recording Registry recorded in the 2003. The song ranked at number 97 of the 500 Greatest Songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine ( 2004).

Cover version of the Beatles

The Beatles Roll Over Beethoven played on December 25, 1962 for the first time live at the Hamburg Star Club, taken by Adrian Barber and only on the LP Live! At the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany 1962 ( September 1977) published. On February 28, 1964, she recorded the song live on the BBC for the program Saturday Club. The first studio recording took place on July 30, 1963 at Abbey Road Studios for the LP With the Beatles ( November 1963 ) instead. In the U.S., the song appeared on the LP The Beatles Second Album in April 1964 and as the opening track on the EP Four by The Beatles (May 1964). On single of the song was released in March 1964 and reached during the British Invasion, only rank 68 of the U.S. pop charts.

Cover versions

There are at least 57 more cover versions. Carl Perkins grabbed the Evergreen was the first on (30 January 1957). Gene Vincent coverte Roll Over Beethoven multiple reports, the first for the TV series Town Hall Party with country music (live on November 7, 1959), for the BBC Saturday Club (7 December 1963), in Gary Nieland's home studio (Salem (Oregon ); 14-15 May 1969 ), and -. shortly before his death - in the Johnny Walker Radio Show (October 1, 1971). Other major versions derived from The Velairs ( August 1961 ) or by Pat Wayne & The Beachcombers. This remained unknown beat band also recorded the song in Abbey Road, a Beatles -like version (produced by band member Bob Barrat, November 1963 ).

This was followed by Bobby Russell (1964 ) Rattles ( B-side of Bye Bye Johnny, April 1964), Johnny Rivers (LP Here We à Go Go Again; Oktober 1964), Jerry Lee Lewis ( January 6, 1965 ), Linda Gail & Jerry Lee Lewis ( produced by Jerry Kennedy, September 1969 ), Billy M. Lawrie (producer was Maurice Gibb, November 1969 ), Ten Years After (LP Live at the Fillmore East, . 27-28 February 1970 ) and mountain ( December 1971 ).

Jeff Lynne produced for his Electric Light Orchestra ( ELO) on 8 September 1972, a long and unusual version of 8:09 minutes duration. It uses in the intro the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony and interpolates this motif almost seamlessly into Chuck Berry following composition by a fast electric guitar part. The well-known Beethoven riff is repeated four-note with the guitar during the song. In addition to Jeff Lynne ( vocals, guitar, Moog synthesizer and harmonium ) were part of the cast in London's AIR Studios Bev Bevan yet (drums and percussion), Wilf Gibson ( violin), Mike Edwards and Colin Walker ( cello ), Michael de Albuquerque (bass) and Richard Tandy ( Moog synthesizer, piano, guitar and harmonium ). In the AIR studio next door at the same time Paul McCartney's recording of Live and Let Die took place, whose producer George Martin stopped in to see ELO and nodded his head affirmatively. After publication in January 1973, was reduced to 4:32 minutes single version climbed up to rank 6 of the British charts and ranked 42 in the U.S. charts.